Gas diffuser tube assemblies are utilized in a number of environments for being submerged within a liquid to receive and discharge gas under pressure in the form of bubbles into the liquid for diffusion of the gas into the liquid.
In applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,685, issued Aug. 25, 1970, such a gas diffuser tube assembly was disclosed for being positioned within a sewage and waste water conduit which transported sewage and waste water from a point of collection to a point of treatment. The diffuser tube assembly discharged bubbles of oxygen gas under pressure into the liquid sewage and waste water for chemically treating such liquid sewage and waste water prior to its delivery to a treatment facility.
Also, in applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,188, issued Nov. 13, 1973, gas diffuser devices were utilized to diffuse bubbles of oxygen gas into liquid sewage and waste being treated in an enclosed pressurized vessel for chemical treatment thereof by a process now known commercially as "OXYOZOSYNTHESIS". The term "oxygen" as used in such patent and as used herein includes both O.sub.2 and O.sub.3 and thus generically includes ozone.
When treating a liquid with a gas by diffusing a gas, such as oxygen, into a liquid, such as waste water and sewage, it has been recognized that the greater the area of interface between the liquid and the gas, the greater the amount of gas will be dissolved into the liquid per unit volume of gas and liquid under set temperatures and pressures. Also, the more bubbles that can be created per unit volume of gas, the greater the interface area becomes between the liquid and the gas.
It has further been generally recognized that diffuser tube assemblies which are submerged within a liquid for diffusing gas into the liquid must include means for preventing back flow of the liquid into the diffuser tube assembly, if the pressure of the liquid exceeds that of the gas within the diffuser tube assembly.
Notwithstanding the above, diffuser tube assemblies heretofore proposed, particularly for use in treatment of liquid sewage with oxygen, have suffered from one or more problems or drawbacks with the creation of the greatest area of interface between the liquid and the gas and in preventing back flow of the liquid into the diffuser tube assembly and have thereby adversely affected the chemical treatment of the liquid sewage.